The Petite Nation's do-it-yourself art tour

I always get a kick out of the asparagus grower along Quebec Highway 323 who, at this time of year, uses his mower to write the word "Asperges" in large, flowing letters in the grass on a hillside across from his farm.

It's a cheap and novel way of advertising -- and visible evidence of the artistic flair of the Petite Nation area north of Montebello.

Known for the bucolic beauty created by its combination of farmers' fields and rugged, forest-covered hills, the area's artistic flair is not limited to its farmers. In fact, the Petite Nation is the home to a growing community of artists -- painters, potters and other craftspeople -- who look to the land for inspiration.

Many of the artists open their homes and studios to the public -- by appointment at this time of year, and in a more general way once summer arrives.

And since the Petite Nation is only about one hour's drive from downtown Ottawa, it's very easy for people from Ottawa to arrange their own private studio tour.

"In an area like this, you have to create your own job," said Lise Poirier, a painter who lives in Ripon, one of the many small towns of the Petite Nation. "And for creative people, this is an ideal area because we can find tranquility, yet it's not far from urban areas."

Many of those artists are relatively new to the region. For example, Francois Allard of Solart Céramique has been here for six years, his wife Michelle Lemire for only two.

For that reason, many people -- particularly from outside Quebec -- don't know about the concentration of artists here. And because those artists want to increase their visibility, they are more than glad to open their homes to visitors.

"I'm always open, year-round," said painter Guy Morest, also in Ripon. "In the summer, there's a time when we're pretty well always open, but at this time of year, it's better to make an appointment."

But even this early in the year, he said he has already had visitors -- "I even made a sale."

Noëlla Lévesque, who does watercolours, was having trouble with flooding in her studio last week; but she said if someone wants to see her work, she can arrange to be in an art gallery in Montpellier, five minutes from her home.

"When I'm at home, people can drop in anytime," said Louise Falstrault, a painter who lives near Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix. "I may be gone running errands, but on weekend, I'm at home 90 per cent of the time."

The Petite Nation's main municipalities are Ripon, Montpellier, Chénéville, St-Andre-Avellin and Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix. They are only a few minutes away from each other via a good network of roads and highways.

Falstrault, for example, lives off Highway 323, the main road to Tremblant, and has a sign on the highway announcing her studio.

But she says people going to Tremblant don't generally take the time to stop -- at least not until they've seen the sign a dozen times and wonder what it's about.

It's easier for artists who are off the road to Tremblant, she said, because there are a lot of people going to cottages who aren't in such a rush.

There are several ways to contact the artists and artisans in the Petite Nation.

One is through the website of the Conseil des métiers d'art du Quebec, www.metiers-d-art.qc.ca. The site allows you to do a regional search under Outaouais, and will turn up a list of 15 artisans, with contact information.

There's a more formalized list at www.createursdelapetitenation.com, which lists information about the artists selected to be part of the annual Petite Nation studio tour on Labour Day weekend. The big advantage of this website is that is has a map, with artists' studios plotted out.

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Vancouver Flyers

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